Planning and carrying out a state to state move is much more different than carrying out a local move or even a move that involves a few hundred miles.
Fortunately, interstate moving can be so much adventurous for you. Only that interstate moving is never going to be easy. That is why it is so much important to select a professional long distance mover to haul your household items across the state lines.
So, what are the things you should know about the state to state move?
What to Understand About State to State Move
When planning to move to another state, you must remember these things so you can turn your tough interstate move into an easy, safe, and cheaper endeavor.
Interstate Move and Intrastate Move are not the same
The similarity between the words interstate and intrastate cannot be overemphasized. That is why most people seem to be confused about the two terms. In some cases, it is mistakenly assumed that they both mean the same thing.
If you are possibly moving to another house soon, then you need to know the difference between both interstate and intrastate moving.
- Interstate moving: This move implies that your belongings will be transported to another state until it gets to the destination. In summary, an interstate move begins in one state and ends in a different state. Or it starts and ends inside the same state but requires crossing another state line or outside the country.
Interstate moves are regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation.
Moving to another state often costs beyond moving within a state due to the long distance involved as well as the factors used to determine the moving cost.
- Intrastate moving: This move implies that your goods will be moved inside the state boundaries, meaning that it won’t cross to another state at all. Intrastate moves are often considered local moves (even though some movers may charge you a long-distance fee based on the actual moving distance). They are charged based on hours. You must always remember that intrastate movers are not governed by the FMCSA.
Costs of Interstate Moving are not determined by Hours
An important factor you need to know when relocating to a new state is that your state-to-state moving company will not charge an hourly rate as an intrastate moving company would. Instead, the cost of your long-distance move will be calculated based on some factors, such as total weight of goods, move distance, and additional services.
The overall weight of the shipment will have a great influence on the total bill. The more goods you decide to move, the more money you will pay for it because of the increased weight, and vice versa.
To be realistic, moving only the essential items with you after purging your home of items you don’t plan to further make use is the cheapest way to move to another state. The distance between the old home and the new home is also very important in the calculation of the state-to-state moving cost.
The move distance is fixed, so you cannot do anything to make the price determinant work for you. The add-on services when relocating to another part of the country will also play a major role in the overall moving cost. If you wish to have professionals pack your items for you, or will your furniture items need disassembly and reassembly service? Each service you choose will cost you more.
Interstate Moving Companies are the Best Choice When Moving Long Distances
An interstate move is simply when your household items are hauled between two or more states, thus crossing state borders or many state borders in the process. In reality, the new home may be located in a nearby state or a state located in another part of the continent.
In most scenarios, interstate moving is not what a DIYer can pull off because of the huge DIY-move expenses that you will incur, together with the cost of renting a moving truck, buying all necessary packing supplies, paying for fuel, buying enough insurance, road tolls, lodging, and food on the road, renting moving equipment, and so on.
Finally, it will also attract risks and dangers of tackling a long-distance move as a self-move: unsure road rage, possible accidents, and unpredictable unpacking.
The overwhelming and scary thought of you driving a large moving truck across the country is even enough to make many people turn back from that silly idea and concentrate their efforts on looking for affordable movers.
Interstate Moving Requires Proper and Adequate Planning and Organization
Moving to another state is dependent on your level of preparedness for the move. It is not easy to plan a state to state move because you have many pre-move tasks to do. Fortunately, of all the tasks involved in an interstate move, there are three important tasks that you must handle to ensure the success of your state to state move.
Let your planning list include the following:
- Look for a good state to state movers: As earlier discussed, we advised you against planning a self-move when moving to another state. Save yourself the stress by looking for a reputable, reliable, and reasonably affordable long-distance moving company to perform your house moves for you. Begin the search by asking for the state to state moving quotes from many long-distance movers.
- Stick to a good moving checklist: You must organize your interstate move in a way that will save much of your time. Stick to a moving calendar to optimize the efficiency of your preparation phase. Our unique moving checklist will get you prepared as early as 60 days before your moving day.
- Declutter your home and pack your goods: Don’t forget how much more your overall moving cost will increase when you move more household goods. Firstly, purge your household of any unnecessary goods to save your transportation costs, and then pack any items you can by yourself to save on additional services when moving to another state.
Moving Services is Different among Companies
Do you want to pack your household goods or would you instead like a fulfill-servicing option so you can have more time for your stuff? Do you have the necessary packing materials? How will you take care of all your heavy household furniture and appliances? With a professional state-to-state mover, you don’t have to answer any of these questions since they will handle everything.
State to State Moving Can and Should Be Made Affordable
It is, therefore, important to know that moving is costly in advance. The AMSA (American Moving and Storage Association) claims that the average moving cost to another state is about $4,300 for moving on a distance of 1,225 miles and a weight of 7,400 pounds for shipment.
Yes, your cross-country move can be much lower than that, but you still can understand the importance and urgency to save you as much money as possible when you are moving to another state the three cheapest ways to save money when moving cross-state include:
- Find an affordable cross-country moving company: As earlier discussed, interstate moving is now about leaving your valuable items to one of the best states to state moving companies. And when you can obtain a minimum of three state to state moving quotes, you will be able to make a price comparison of those price estimates and select the best one based on services, price, and conditions.
- Declutter your home to save more money: Very simple; do not move with any items you have no intention of using in the future. If you haven’t used an item in more than a year, then such an item is not needed. Sell unwanted items to get cool cash, or donate some of the items to the nearest reliable charitable organizations. Either way, your long-distance move will turn cheaper.
- Pack anything you can handle by yourself: The cost of professional packing can be much, so work on reducing it. After all, you can pack your books, clothes, and shoes all by yourself. Leave the professionals to pack items that need special protection, like antiques, bulky appliances, and large furniture pieces.
Conclusion
If you are prepared to begin planning your cross-state move, let the professionally trained long-distance movers work for you. They can make a custom moving package that accommodates your family’s needs and budget. Fill out our simple online moving form to obtain your free, no-obligation moving quote.
